Real Food Family’s SOURDOUGH CLUB

Have you ever wanted to make sourdough bread, but thought it was going to be too complicated?

Sourdough is special because it is a traditional preparation that properly breaks down the phytic acid found in most grains. Traditional cultures across the world would soak, sprout or ferment their grains before eating because their ancestral wisdom and traditions taught them that these preparations facilitated better digestion and overall health.

Modern nutritional science shows that these cultures were right…soaking, souring, sprouting, fermenting, etc. are all processes that break down or neutralize phytic acid found in grains and legumes that is responsible for stealing minerals and vitamins from our bodies and contributing to all sorts of health problems from tooth decay to heart disease.

I’ve always recommended sourdough as the nutritional bread of choice (for those who want to eat bread) because it is sort of “pre-digested” , but I’ve never actually made it myself…or at least made it well….UNTIL NOW!

Recently I’ve made sourdough part of the family, because that’s kind of what happens. At first you have to “raise” your starter, then have to get used to feeding your little starter at least once a week. On top of that you have to get used to using your starter for recipes.

It may sound like a lot of work, but it really isn’t! The hard part is getting into the habit of it all. It is totally worth the reward of making your own delicious recipes and being in even more control of what goes into your family’s bodies! That’s why I’ve decided to start a little “club” here at Real Food Family. Will you join me?

This “Sourdough Club” will simply be about all of my sourdough creations- bread, pancakes, biscuits, and more.

Einkorn flour– this is optional, but after using the white flour to feed the starter, I use Einkorn flour for all my baking recipes. You have to order online, so you’ll want to have it ready when you’re ready to bake! Click here to learn why I use Einkorn flour.

When you get your sourdough culture from Cultures for Health, you will need to follow the directions in the packet to get your sourdough starter activated and ready for recipes. This will take about a week, but here’s the breakdown of how it works:

Open your starter and put it in a large jar with the recommended amount of warm water and flour

Loosely cover the jar with the lid or a towel tied with twine and ut the mixture in a warm place for 12-24 hours (I put mine in my turned-off gas oven).

After 12-24 hours, remove all but 1/2 cup of the starter and feed it with 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour. (You can use the discarded starter to make sourdough pancakes. The recipe for this is below but also comes in the package that your starter comes with.)

Repeat this process for several days until your starter is happy- growing and filled with bubbles after a few hours.

Use some of your starter for a recipe, or put it in the refrigerator to keep it alive but in a dormant state.

Feed and/or use your starter at least once per week by taking it out, discarding all but 1/2 cup of it, feeding it with 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour, letting is “proof” for 12-24 hours, then using some of it for a recipe and returning the rest to the refrigerator.

This last step is where the “Sourdough Club” comes in. I think this is the part where planning becomes tricky and I want to help you keep using your little starter in delicious recipes. There are SO many different things you can make with sourdough…more than just bread, although I think the bread is good enough!

Comments

I’m in! I’ve been eying Cultures for Health’s SF Starter for a couple of weeks now wondering if it was worth it. Would I stick with it? Would I make anything with it? I’ve always wanted to make my own bread so maybe this is the time to start!

Yes you can, theoretically, but I have never been able to successfully do this. It really has to do with the conditions of where you live. If you can purchase the starter, it really isn’t that much (mine was about $15 including tax and shipping) compared to being able to make your own bread for the rest of your life!! You can also share starter as a gift to others. 🙂

Hey Kimberly! Actually this isn’t really a problem at all. Once you have your starter, you only have to make something when you want to. It can even be weeks! You just have to feed the refrigerated starter once per week by bringing it to room temperature, discarding all but 1/2 cup, feeding it with 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup water, then letting proof for 12-24 hours again before returning it to the refrigerator. You use the starter that you discarded to make recipes, but you can always just trash that, or feed that and proof a new starter to give away!

made sourdough bread today with starter that i started myself about 5 years ago. It gets better with age. I have shared it many times, I think I am the only one that sticks with it though. It is pretty easy to set it to rest in the frig until I am ready to use it again.

ok, since there are others here who know better what is going on, is there a hard line on the film that can form? I keep finding a lot of contrary info through google and honestly don’t know that I didnt do something wrong to the point i should start over. It still smells the same though the aroma is stronger, when I came in from work today I could smell the starter as I entered the kitchen.

Okay, Kimberly, I’m trying to figure out what film you are talking about. Do you mean on the top of your starter? It sounds like it may be too dry. I’m sure the starter is still good if it activates properly (bubbly and about double the volume after a few hours). Clarify a little more and I’ll try to answer better.

Sometimes my recipes get a bit of a tough film on the top which seems to be because it dried out and I didn’t have it covered well enough. So try adding a little more water and keeping in a draft-free place. Maybe even keep it in an oven (turned off) or something else that is enclosed with a cup of water.

Ever thought of starting a facebook page or group called Sourdough Bread or something like that. Then people can just join/like it specifically for the sourdough stuff. Facebook doesn’t support hashtags so I could like your main page but if all I’m interested in is the sourdough stuff, I’d probably miss it. 🙂

Hi Roz!
I’m just now reading many of your posts and am finding so much helpful information and inspiration for more healthy cooking/living. I have a question regarding a gluten free diet. Almost everything I prepare is gluten free because we often share our meals with a family member who has Celiac disease. Can this sourdough be made using gluten free flour? I use a gluten free flour that I order from a company called Better Batter. It is a blend of rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, potato flour, xanthan gum, pectin (lemon derivative).
Thank you so much!
Martha (Glenn’s mom)

Hi Martha!! Thanks for stopping in! I am not an expert in gluten free baking but there are so many people who are. You could always try this classic sourdough with gluten free flour, but I would first shop around blogs for gluten free sourdough recipes. Please let me know what happens! (We miss your family!)

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